Christian directions, showing how to walk with God all the day long drawn up…Christian directions, shewing how to walk with God all the day long drawn up…

I. For the first, what true Repentance is, I answer, It is a grace of Gods Spirit, whereby both the heart and affections within, and also ⟨p. 113⟩the life and actions without are reformed. In this description I take the full nature of Repentance to be comprised. Many do add hereunto an inward sorrowing and mourning of the heart, which doth indeed always accompany true Repentance, but it is not of the nature thereof: For then, wheresoever sorrow for sin were, there should be true Repentance, which is not so, as the examples of Saul, Judas, and other wicked men do declare. Briefly to open this definition of Repentance.

I. For the first, what true Repentance is, I answer, It is a grace of Gods Spiri•, whereby both the heart and affections within, and also ⟨p. 113⟩the life and actions without are reformed. In this description I take the full nature of Repentance to be comprized. Many do add hereunto an inward sorrowing and mourning of the heart, which doth indeed alwaies accompany true Repentance, but it is not of the nature thereof: For then, wheresoever sorrow for sin were, there should be true Repentance, which is not so, as the examples of Saul, Iudas, and other wicked men do declare. Briefly to open this d•finition of Repentance.

First, I say, It is a grace of Gods Spirit, i. e. a gift freely given of God, and wrought in us by his holy Spirit; so that it proceedeth not from mans free will, nor from any power and ability of his nature.

Again, Repentance is a Reformation, wherein consists the very nature thereof, as the words of turning, renewing, changing, and the like, which in Scripture are attributed to Repentance, do imply. Now this Reformation must first be of the heart; for the heart of a man is the fountain of all his actions; now in reason the fountain must be cleansed and purged, before that which issueth and streameth from it can be wholesome. There must be therefore first a renewed heart, before there can be a reformed life; for it cannot be that the stream of our actions should be good, if the fountain of our heart be corrupt. Hence it is that the Prophets so often call for the cleansing of the heart, and the Apostles for the renewing, and changing thereof, without which all external and outward reformation is but mere Pharisaical ostentation. In the last place is added, A reformation of the life and actions without; for as to make some outward show of Reformation, without reforming the heart within, is but Pharisaical ostentation, whereby we deceive others: So to pretend an inward Reformation, without the outward fruits of amendment, is but mere folly, whereby we deceive our selves. For it cannot be that Reformation should be truly rooted and grounded in the heart, but that it will bud forth, and show it self in the fruits of a godly life. That man therefore deceiveth himself, who thinks his heart is purged and reformed, when his life is polluted. For as the fruits declare the tree, so the actions of men manifest their affections.